Routes from the Daresbury and Bridgewater Expressways to the southbound Central Expressway, towards Halton Lea, will both open eight weeks earlier than expected on 22 December.

Drivers will be able to use the new Bridgewater Junction to reach the Central Expressway. The slip road from Weston Link to Weston Point Expressway southbound will also reopen on 23 December.

From 3 January, the northbound Central Expressway between Halton Brow and Bridgewater Junction will close for three months, and the link from the Central Expressway to the Bridgewater Expressway will be closed while the road bridge over the Bridgewater Canal is repaired.

The start of January will also see a three-month lane closure on a short stretch of the southbound Weston Point Expressway between Rocksavage Interchange and Weston Point Junction.

This is required because the construction team is removing part of Rocksavage Bridge West in the area.

The centerpiece of the Mersey Gateway project, a new six-lane toll bridge linking Widnes and Runcorn, is due to open in autumn 2017.

At this point the Silver Jubilee Bridge will be closed for between nine and 12 months whilst it is refurbished with enhanced crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The Silver Jubilee Bridge will also be tolled when it re-opens.

Hugh O’Connor, general manager for Merseylink, said: “We’re very pleased to be opening the links between the Daresbury and Bridgewater Expressways and the Central Expressway ahead of schedule. As we move into 2017 we’re starting quite an intense final phase of the works but the good news is that this coming year will see more and more roads re-opening and ultimately see the new bridge open to traffic in the autumn.”